Remote alarm for visual display terminals

ABSTRACT

A communication network system utilizing a plurality of remotely located keyboard display terminals employing terminal alarms for indicating predetermined system conditions.

United States Patent [72] inventors George M. McFadden;

Anthony F. M2881 Jn; William L. Ewing, Oklahoma City, Okla. [21] Appl. No. 735,658 [22] Filed June 10, 1968 [45] Patented Mar. 9, 1971 [73] Assignee General Electric Company [54] REMOTE ALARM FOR VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINALS 16 Claims, 92 Drawing Figs. [52] 11.5. CI 340/172.5 [51] Int. Cl G06l3/04, G061 3/14 [50] Field olSeareh 340/1725; 235/157 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,071,753 1/1963 Fritze et a1 340/1725 MUL T/PLE TERMINAL DA 74 50/ T ING D/SPLA Y SYSTEM DATA LINE INTERFACE DISTRlBUTOR DISPLAY CHARACTER PAGE PRINT GENERATOR comnou 3,134,016 5/1964 Connolly et al 340/1725 3,241,120 3/1966 Amdahlm. 340/1725 3,281,797 10/1966 Harris 340/1725 3,295,108 12/1966 Harris et al. 340/1725 3,302,189 1/1967 Korkowski et a1. 340/1725 3,309,673 3/1967 Harris et a1. 340/1725 3,335,409 8/1967 Heller et al. 340/1725 3,368,028 2/1968 Windels et al. 340/1725 3,403,382 9/1968 Frielinghaus et a1 340/1725 3,407,387 10/1968 Looschen et a1 340/1725 Primary Examiner-Gareth D. Shaw Attorneys-George V, Eltgroth, Howard M. Dustin, Warren F. B. Lindsley, Oscar B. Waddell, Melvin M. Goldenberg and Frank L. Neuhauser ABSTRACT: A communication network system utilizing a plurality of remotely located keyboard display terminals employing terminal alarms for indicating predetermined system conditions.

VIDEO K EY BOARD l N PU T MULTI PLEXER Patented March 9, 1971 67 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm: 2: EVGEEDE M93125 5%: U2: 55 e535! 292223228 d E26: 1| m? B 53858 102523 A 52.". Mai $5535 q 02:; P 2 590 Owe;

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Patented March 9, 1971 6'? Sheets-Sheet z .223 2534 wFOEwm 21444 whOImm OO W m momoomm was. Owe;

........................... i Em 5% m m UQEEFE 5%: 53 53 Q5851 292223228 m m E05: A H u Q #9 b m 5 30528 mobmzww Q 5;; M63 mw5 m xu 3:2; 2 590 m :1 552155 II I 89 mm 1P. w m wfld m hag Himwa m. mowmuoowa 555E Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

6'? Sheets-Sheet 5 CHARACTER AND COMMAND CODES an 1 o o o o I I I I NUMBER 5 o o I I o o l I 0 l o I o l o I 4 coIIIIIIAms CHARACTERS MEAP'II N6 0 o o o nuu. SP 0 p o o o I RLF I l A o o o I o STX PS 2 B R o o I ETX .1: 3 c s o l o 0 PR s 4 o T o I o l EN0 9; 5 E u o I I o a s F v o I I I 1 I; III I o o o as I 8 H x l o o I 9 I Y I o l 0 LF I J z I o I I K I I l o o FF I I o I ca l l I o N IIIII l l l I o FIG. 2.

COMMAND FUNCTIONS coum'mn FuncTIoII/IL GROUP STX ETX TRANSMIT TX CONTROL EIIo FS as MARKER RLF H vs PR 0 IENT ca TAB FF CLEAR mo RESET Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

67 Sheets-Shut 6 now om 49:28 3158 U XE SN :55 6m SN 23%: @8352. l x3353 5x5 63m room 3: i WT TEFQEE 67 Sheets-Sheet '7 F LOP MODULE TRUTH TABLE FOR FLIP-FLOP MODULE Patented March 9, 1971 a) C? FLIP TT WM TTUE ETHT Hm". Kama afifififi m RR R m 8 TT N WE UW HHLL LHLH F. S w .6

LLHH HLHLL H C HHLL HHLL H m w m m m HLHL HLHLW n m r. m I T E I m m 3 m 8% R w mm m P F W SH L I. OW E E A RH fl PLII Y L H m FIG. 6.

BUFFER MODULE SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

6'7 Sheets-Sheet 9 4M6 AND VSP GENERATION I J -S l- 'S l S I i l T T T i I c o c o c o I I I I I I FIG. 8a

Patented March 9, 1971 6'? Sheets-Sheet 10 j j 25 j j m E? L. 8:. i 3.5 a; 1 02. C -wmoEw j b 5815 g FL E i E L JIL FL J W E in *iijljpjjl z g E g EEGEQ @ESQR XUQHQ Patented March 9, 1971 67 Sheets-Sheet l2 MEMORY PART/ T/ON/NG DIAGRAM mmmznz 456789MHQWM5$ QBMEP 456789mHQBM5w mwmimz 30m EwE mwmiDz zmmh Ini o DTI MEMORY ROW ADDRESS IN BINARY 0 O O O O X I FIGJOa Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

6'7 Sheets-Sheet 13 CHARACTER FORMAT VIDEO BITS VIDEO BITS I23456789IOIII2 I23456789IOIII2 CHARACTER g m LINES (L) 8 M NUMERALS 0 I mAREA NORMALLY VOID EXCEPT FOR LINES AND ENTRY MARKER AREA USED IN CHARACTER DISPLAY II q II b mBUT LEFT DARK IN THIS CHARACTER FIG."

VIDEO CHARACTER GENERAT/ON I ESLOTISII i 63MORE I SI i saNIORE I sI i won :IST PASS :s IN IST g2NO PASS 5 IN :aRO PASS I OUTPUT :FIELDI PASS m =2 p =Ass I I CH.LI IU'OF'E'AOH; CHI L3 LBOFEACHs CHILS -5 63 MORE I SLOTI I 63 MORE i SLOT I i s 5TH PASS {SLOTS IN ISTH PASS 'iIi'LPEi- *i Pf LI I I I I- L ILTOFEACHSI CH. L9 ILQOFEACHSI CH.LII :I.

I I I 63 MORE sI 63MOREI sI 63MORE 5| 5 s IN :TTH, PASSI s IN IemPAss I s IN New Row I l REMAINING S ND PASSES F FIELD I sI I 63 MORE I sI I SSMORE I sI IST Ass I I2NO PASS I s IN S IN FIELD 2 IST PASS {2ND PASS I I "m "m"- CH. L2 |L2 OF EACH 3. CH. L4 1L4OFEACHSI CH. L6

FIG. l2

Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

6'? Shuts-Sheet 14 VIDEO CHARACTER RE PE RTOIRE FIG. '3.

Patented March 9, 1971 6'7 Sheets-Sheet 18 KEYBOARD lNPUT GATES 73 TERM. DATA a KBGI TERM. 2 DATA ase TERM. 3 DATA L3 KETYBROARDIS. TERM. 4 DATA K864 A KEYBOARD DATA KB SI TERM 5 DATA ll4e To KEYBOARD DIFSI- '%MB\JI1I%%OSS 86 INPUT REGISTER 14 TERM. 6 DATA A KBG6 TERM. 1 DATA KBGT TERM. 3 DATA Kass FIG. I6

MEMORY READ GATES //6 TMU GATES FRCM DISPLAY TIMING 44 DATA MMU DATA FROM MAINTMEIMIQRIES MMUC DATA NMUD DATA FIGJT MEMORY DATA TO MEMORY ADDRESS REGISTER BI, ENTRY ADDRESS CONTROL 82 AND PAGE PRINTER CONTROLLER 23 Patented March 9, 1971 3,569,940

67 Sheets-Sheet 19 KEYBOARD MEMORY T EA WRITE CONTROL 77 KB WRITE To ADDRESS c 0 H MAIN MEMoI3 Y UNITS CONTROLBZ Z I 2| II-7| ZAL'ACPRESZ S I WRITE I MC DATA -||a FROM 0 o KB-MEMORY M- DATA To MMu MAIN FROM ENTRY ENTRY ADDRESS MEMORIES TI-TI'" ADDRESS CONTROL a2 7 FIG. I'Icl PART OF COMMAND DECODER 75 TO ENTRY FROM ADDRE S S *REGISTER REGISTER CONTROL 82 AND REGISTER GIHIFT CONTROL FIG. l8 

1. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages, a memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data and status messages, a plurality of keyboard devices remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least some of said data lines for individually transmitting to said memory signals representing data and status messages of said keyboard devices, means coupled to receive from said addressable locations signals representative of said status messages, and an alarm device associated with said keyboard devices for receiving said latter signals and indicating said status messages.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein a display means is associated with said alarm device for visually illustrating the reason for said signals representing said status messages.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein an alarm device is provided for each of said keyboard devices for indicating status messages of the associated keyboard device.
 4. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages, a data memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data messages, a plurality of keyboard devices remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least a number of said data lines for individually storing and changing the data messages in said memory, means for transmitting from said keyboard devices to said memory signals representative of predetermined operating conditions of said keyboard devices, means coupled to receive from said addressable location signals representative of the conditions of said keyboard devices and for generating status signals, and an alarm device associated with said keyboard devices for receiving said status signals and indicating said predetermined conditions of said keyboard devices.
 5. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages, a data memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data messages, a plurality of keyboard devices remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least a number of said data lines for individually storing and changing the data messages in said memory, means for transmitting from said keyboard devices to said memory signals representative of predetermined operating conditions of said keyboard devices, means coupled to said transmitting means for locking out at least one of said keyboard devices upon the occurrence of one of said predetermined operating conditions, means coupled to receive from said addressable location signals representative of the conditions of said keyboard devices and for generating status signals, and an alarm device associated with said keyboard devices for receiving said status signals and indicating said predetermined conditions of said keyboard devices.
 6. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages a data memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data messages, a plurality of keyboard devices remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least a number of said data lines for individually storing and changing the data messages in said memory, means for transmittiNg from said keyboard devices to said memory signals representative of predetermined operating conditions of said keyboard devices, means coupled to said transmitting means for locking out a given one of said keyboard devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined operating condition of said one of said keyboard devices, means coupled to receive from said addressable location signals representative of the conditions of said keyboard devices and for generating status signals, and an alarm device associated with said keyboard devices for receiving said status signals and indicating said predetermined conditions of said keyboard devices.
 7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein an alarm device is associated with each of said keyboard devices for receiving said status signals representative of the predetermined conditions of said associated keyboard device.
 8. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said memory comprises a cyclic memory device.
 9. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said cyclic memory device comprises a delay line having a closed loop path.
 10. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said alarm device comprises audio and visual indicators.
 11. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages, a data memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data messages, a plurality of keyboard display terminals remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least some of said data lines for individually storing and changing the data messages in said memory, means for transmitting to said keyboard display terminals from said memory signals representative of predetermined operating conditions on said data lines, a first means coupled to receive from said addressable location signals representative of said predetermined conditions for generating status signals, a second means coupled to said first means for transmitting said status signals to said keyboard display terminals, and means coupled to said second means for transmitting a signal for erasing at least some of said representative signals from said memory.
 12. A remote terminal message handling system comprising: a plurality of data lines for transmitting data messages, a data memory coupled to said data lines, said memory having addressable locations for storing data messages, a plurality of keyboard display terminals remote from said memory one coupled to each of at least some of said data lines for individually storing and changing the data messages in said memory, means for transmitting to said keyboard display terminals from said memory signals representative of predetermined operating conditions of said keyboard display terminals, a first means coupled to receive from said addressable location signals representative of said predetermined conditions for generating status signals to said keyboard display terminals, and means coupled to said second means for transmitting a signal for erasing at least some of said representative signals from said memory, and an alarm device associated with said keyboard display terminals for receiving said status signals and indicating said predetermined conditions of said keyboard display terminals.
 13. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein an alarm device is associated with each of said keyboard display devices for receiving said status signals representative of the predetermined operating conditions of the associated keyboard display terminal.
 14. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said memory comprises a cyclic memory device.
 15. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said cyclic memory device comprises a delay line having a closed loop path.
 16. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said alarm device comprises audio and visual indicators. 